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Monday, February 26, 2024
On the day of your American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC) Certification Examination (a.k.a. the “genetic counseling boards”), and even throughout the week leading up to it, self-care may be one of the last things on your mind amid all the inheritance patterns and testing methodologies. Many people will plan relaxing days for after they take the exam, but I argue those are just as important in the days leading up to the test as well.
Remembering to take time for yourself is one of the best kept test-taking secrets. Self-care before and on test day may look different for everyone, but I have complied a list of the things I did which helped put me in a better headspace for taking the ABGC Certification Examination.
While this list could continue forever, I think the most important thing to think about when it comes to self-care surrounding the ABGC exam is that you cannot forget to practice it. It is so easy to get burnt out throughout the study process and feel exhausted by the time exam day comes. Taking some time for yourself in the days before the exam, and even on exam day, can refresh your body and mind and put you in the best headspace to take your certification exam.
Madalyn Charnego is a newly certified and licensed prenatal genetic counselor with UPMC Maternal Fetal Medicine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She received her MPH in Public Health Genetics and MS in Genetic Counseling from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. Madalyn has a passion for health literacy and connecting patients with accessible resources on genetic counseling and genetic testing.
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